Imperial Milk Stout: Dream and It Will Be

Last night I actually dreamt of craft beer. A gigantic glass was slowly being filled with deep, dark, creamy, chocolate-colored brew, topped with a mountain of billowy, light tan head. I was beside myself gazing at this beer, in all its glory. Then I noticed what name was inscribed on the glass, in bold, curvy, gothic letters: "Lactostradamus."

"A milk stout! An imperial milk stout!" I exclaimed, in my dream… which, of course, means that this particular brew does not yet exist in this world.

I woke up with visions of Lactostradamus in my head (is that not a rad name for an imperial milk stout? I can’t believe I made that up in my dream), picked up my phone and shot a milk-stout message out on Twitter.

Within seconds I receive a reply from Brian Evens, the plant manager at Southern Tier Brewing Co.; "Weird. I dreamt about milk stout last night too. But the one in my dream will exist sometime later today."

Know what that means, kids? Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout is being brewed once again, beginning today. Throngs of people who wait patiently for its summer arrival each year, including myself, are gnawing at the bit… but we won’t have to wait too much longer, thankfully.

Coincidence? Maybe, but perhaps my dream of Lactostradamus had some meaning after all.